Cover for fruit-baskets



\NO Model.)

J. W. LESLIE.

COVER FOR FRUITBASKETS. No. 313,873. Patented Mar. 17, 1885.

263 87268868 men zfor 4 ywin/wisiuzw Nrrnn TATES JOHN W. LESLIE, OF BENTON HARBOR, MICHIGAN.

coves FOR FRUIT-BASKETS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 313,873, dated March 17, 1885.

Application filed October 2, 18%4. (X0 model.)

:0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN \V. LEsLIE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Benton Harbor, in the county of Berrien and State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and Improved Cover for Fruit Baskets; and I hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to covers for fruit baskets, and to the manner of fastening such covers upon the form of baskets commonly employed to contain peaches.

As is thecase with most receptacles employed to contain fruit for handling in small quantities, these baskets are designed, like wrapping'paper, to be used no more for their original purpose after being emptied of their contents. For this reason they require to be produced at the lowest possible cost, and therefore any improvement in this article which tends to increase the cost of manufacture deprives itin a manner of its usefulness.

It is my object to provide a cover for fruitbaskets of the foregoing description, the use of which shall not only not materialy increase the cost in the manufacture of the article over devices for a similar purpose now in use, but which shall be stronger than such ordinary devices, enhance, when applied, the neatness of the appearance of the receptacle, and remain secure in its position upon the basket in handling the latter.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 shows a peach-basket in elevation provided with my improved cover, having a portion of the basket and cover broken away to display the mechanism for securing the cover in position; and Fig. 2, a bottom plan view of my improved cover provided with the means I prefer to employ for fastening it in position upon a basket.

A is a peach-basket of ordinary form, and constructed, as usual, to leave vertical openings in its body, to permit inspection of the fruit it contains without necessitating its re moval for the purpose.

B is the cover, comprising the sides 0, bent to conform to the rim surrounding the mouth of the basket, and connected together at a central point of each and toward their extremities by cross pieces or slats i." Since it is desirable to provide the same, as with the body of the basket, in the manner hereinbefore described, with openings for the inspection of its contents, the sides C are not permitted to meet at their extremities, and are preferably connected together by slats, as shown, though a single wide piece could be employed for the purpose without departing from the spirit of my invention, as, indeed, could any number of slats t more or less than the number shown in the drawings.

The side pieces are preferably formed of wood, out, like veneer, in wide strips or blocks 'of the length in which they are intended to be applied, which strips are afterward reduced by cutting to the required width. These may be bent by any suitable method that will cause them to assume, permanently, the desired form such as by the application of steam; but I prefer to' produce their curved form by sawing transverse scores 8 into their surfaces, which may be done rapidly and readily by machinery set for the purpose, and bending them around as far as the vertical edges of the scores will permit, whereby vertical openings 1" are provided, through which the fastener D, hereinafter described, may be inserted in place without difficulty, which otherwise would have to be forced through the material or inserted through a hole bored therein.

Thefastener D comprises a piece of wire, preferably in the form of a wire nail, inserted through the central vertical opening, 1, in each side piece, 0, or driven through the latter at central points when unprovided with openings r, and having their extremities projecting beyond the sides 0, to permit them to be bent around the hoop p. The nail. D may be driven through the end of a slat t to enter the central opening, a"; or it may be inserted before the adjustment of the central slat and covered by it, the former being preferred. It is the object of the fastener to prevent, by the stop q (shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings) compressing the head of the nail, its withdrawal in a downward direction from the side pieces, 0, by the weight of the basket A when full and carried by means of the cover B.

In addition to the advantages above set forth to be attained by the use of my improved cover its construction affords great strength, inasmuch as the side pieces, 0, being curved,

cannot easily be bent outward or inward, and

severed from their connection with the slats t by bending and breaking the nails by means of which the slats are fastened to the side pieces, 0. Each slatt operates to brace the others.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A cover for fruit-baskets, comprising vertical sides 0, bent to conform to the shape of the opening of the basket upon which the said cover is applied, and connected together by one or more cross-pieces, t, and means for fastening the said cover upon the said basket, substantially as described.

2. The combination,with a cover for a fruitbasket, comprising bent side pieces, 0, connected together by one or more cross-pieces, t, of the device for fastening the same to the basket, consisting of wires D, provided with stops q, and passed through vertical openings in the side pieces, 0, substantially as described.

3. Acover for fruit-baskets, comprising vertical sides 0, having transverse scores 8 provided upon one surface, and bent to conform to the opening to the basket upon which the said cover is applied, and connected together by one or more cross-pieces, t, and provided with means for fastening the said cover upon the said basket, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with a cover, B, for fruit-baskets, said cover comprising vertical sides 0, having transverse scores 8 provided upon one surface, and bent to conform to the opening to the basket upon which the said cover is applied, and connected together by one or more cross-pieces, t, of' pieces of wire provided with stops g on one extremity, and forming the fasteners D, inserted throughopenings r opposite each other in the said side pieces, 0, and projecting at their opposite extremities beyond the same, to permit the said projecting portions to be bent around a hoop, 10, on the basket, as and for the purpose set forth.

JOHN W. LESLIE. In presence of- WM. H. RICHARDS, A PLUMMER. 

